Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, left, and U.S. Congressman George Miller look at a solar panel display while touring the SunPower solar power research and development facility in Richmond, Calif., Thursday, Oct. 14, 2010. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Remember those photos of a very uncomfortable Oakland Mayor Jean Quanat former Police Chief Anthony Batts' exit news conference - the ones where she was giving "if looks could kill" side glances toward the city's top cop?

Well, there's a back story to why Quan looked so grim.

For months, relations between Batts and Quan had been on the skids. Batts was particularly upset that the mayor ordered him not to speak before the City Council when it recently took up the antigang injunctions and curfews for teens that he had requested.

So while Batts' departure wasn't a complete surprise, both Quan and new City Administrator Deanna Santana were caught flat-footed when the chief called a news conference to say "so long."

For Quan and Santana, it was no heads up, no chance for an orderly transfer of chiefs and no way to spin their side of the story.

Meanwhile, Batts was on the phone to just about every reporter in the Bay Area, laying the groundwork for what would be the story behind his exit - too much bureaucracy, too little control, too few resources and too much indecision about how to combat crime.

Batts never took a shot at Quan. He didn't have to.

Quan decided to attend the news conference, in part because it would have been even more awkward not to attend.

That's how Quan came to be standing there uncomfortably as Batts painted a picture of dysfunction. The bad times only got worse when the mayor exited without taking questions, pausing just long enough to lambaste a reporter as she was being guided out the door.

The next day, a CBS-5/Survey USA phone poll of Oakland voters showed Quan's approval ratings dropping like a rock, with 69 percent of the 500 people surveyed overnight saying they had little or no confidence in her ability to reduce the city's crime problem.

Within hours, however, Quan and Santana were mounting a comeback - giving Batts the heave-ho now rather than wait for his leisurely departure in mid-November, replacing him with Quan man Howard Jordan and bringing in ex-Gavin Newsomspinmeister NathanBallard for advice on regaining lost ground.

At Jordan's swearing-in Thursday, Quan, Santana and the new chief all kept to a tight script, barely mentioning any crime "crisis" in the city.

Instead, they noted that the federal courts were irked at the Police Department's recent sluggishness in carrying out mandated reforms and were making noises about taking over the cop shop.

The result: This time the dominant image was of a smiling Quan, appearing to be in command, while a stone-faced Batts sat on the sidelines.

Plugged in: When it comes to federal stimulus, it's not just Solyndra's loan-gone-bad that is getting attention.

SunPower Corp.'s $1.2 billion deal is also feeling the heat, largely from House Republicans and Fox News commentators, who have asked, "Could it be bigger than the Solyndra scandal?"

President Obamasigned off on the federal loan guarantee this month for the San Jose company's California Valley Solar Ranch, which will blanket a rural patch of San Luis Obispo County with solar cells.

SunPower reps tell us the deal will create 350 construction jobs. But in the long run, the ranch will employ just 15 workers.

And although most of the solar panels will come from the company's plant in Milpitas, "We also need to source panels from our facilities in Mexico and Asia," said Julie Blunden, SunPower executive vice president. That includes a new plant being built across the border in Mexicali.

As for SunPower's finances? The company has signaled that its yearly earnings will be down because of "challenging market conditions," although the Economist says SunPower - which oil and gas giant Total bought in April for $1.4 billion - can count on good credit lines and access to markets.

Conservative bloggers, however, have raised questions about the role of George Miller IV- the son of Democratic Rep. George Miller of Martinez - whose lobbying firm represents SunPower in Sacramento.

The elder Miller, who joined Interior Secretary Ken Salazaron a tour of SunPower's R&D plant in Richmond last year, did write a letter to the Energy Department supporting the company's loan guarantee application.

"Absolutely," said Miller chief of staff Danny Weiss. "You don't need a lobbyist to convince George Miller that a solar power project is a good idea in California."

Weiss added that "this is a bogus story (by Fox News and others) that there is a scandal."

As for the younger Miller, he told us his firm had nothing to do with helping SunPower win the loan guarantee.

Chronicle columnists Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross appear Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays. Matier can be seen on the KPIX-TV morning and evening news. He can also be heard on KCBS radio Monday through Friday at 7:50 a.m. and 5:50 p.m. Got a tip? Call (415) 777-8815, or e-mail matierandross@sfchronicle.com.